Translucent picture



Users *rnrns ATENT Prion.

ALFRED VON COTZHAUSEN, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

TRANSLUCENT PICTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,836, dated July 2,1895. A Application filed September 13, 1894. Serial No. 522,904. (Nspecimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED VON COTZHAU- sEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCrystalline Pictures, &c.; and I do hereby declare the followingto be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame. I

This invention relates to crystalline pictures.

The object is to produce a crystalline picture which shall be clear, andthe colors of which shall be strong and vivid with fine color effect,and remain unchanged for a great length of time or indefinitely.Furthermore, to vproduce a picture of the kind described, which shall betranslucent in such a way/that the picture will be practically as clearand vivid when held up toward the lighten one side as on the other; and,finally, to produce a picture to be used in fine interior decoration,not only in connection with windows, and which shall be lucent in such away that it will be practically as clearand vivid when held up againstthe light, as when placed in such a position that the direct lightstrikes the front of it and the diffused light of the interior onlyproduces the transparency,for instance, where the picture is placed onan easel or forms the top of a metal or other ornamental table.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in producing a designupon a suitable paper or similar material by lithography,photolithography, printing, or photography, or a combination ofprocesses or procedures, then drying the sheet and placing it in a bathof turpentine andbi-sulphide of carbon, then drying and treating it witha transparent varnish,'and again drying it, and then applying the sheet,in the nature of a film, to a plate of glass, serving it withturpentine, whereby an inseparable union is effected between the filmand the glass after which another plate of glass or other object, may beput over the film so that the same may be between two plates forprotection, and the edges may be suitably ornamented by a metallic bead,scroll, chain, or the like.

As an instance of how I carry my invention into effect, the results ofwhich I call crys taliophies, as distinguished from diaphanies, Iproceed as follows: I take a sheet of good white paper absolutely freefrom any traces of clay, or other mineral matter, and from any fatty,greasy, or resinous matter, and produce upon this, by the processes oflithography, photolithography, or otherwise, the desired design orpicture. The crystallophy paper is made, preferably, exclusively of purelinen rags which are reduced to the finest pulp of the most equableconsistency, the pulp being then molded into sheets of a size,preferably, I

twenty-three by thirty-two inches, and pressed and carefully dried. anykind, or straw or wood pulp is used, which would be liable to obstructtransparency, for the reason that certain colors, particularly, in inks,would fill up the wood fiber, or mineral matter, and form opaque or evenblind or dead spots which the subsequent baths and varnish could notpenetrate.

Inthe first production of the design or picture, it is best to use inksor colors which are absolutely fast, so that the colors may not not fadeon exposure to light. sign has been produced upon the paper, the same ispassed through a bath consisting of a mixture of turpentine andbi-sulphideof carbon, generally in the proportion of two parts, byweight,of turpentine, to one of hisulphide of carbon, and is then hungup to dry in a room absolutely free from (lust, for about three days,somewhat more or less. The sheet is then treated with a transparentvarnish, the preferred transparent varnish being one composed of linseedoil, oil of turpentine, resin, and bi-sulphide of carbon, in suitableproportions to make a clear, strong, and transparent varnish. Thesheetis then again dried for from three to four days, under carefulexclusion of dust or any adhering matter, and may be subjected to asecond varnish bath or treatment. After the sheet has thus been renderedtransparent or translucent and crystalline in appearance, I take a plateof fine glass, preferably plate-glass, though I may employ a plate ofany configuration, or a lens, render it chemically clean, and then serveit with a thin layer of turpentine and lay the picture on, preferablywith its color- After the de- No mineral matter of face against theglass. To remove superfluous turpentine, I then lay a sheet of bibulouspaper upon the picture and stretch it from the center outward, by aroller or rubber stretcher. This manipulation is to be repeated fromthree to six times, and, in this way, all air blebs or bubbles areremoved, and there will be a perfect union between the picture and theglass.

The employment of bi-sulphide of carbon is of particular importance.Bi-sulphide of carbon is a mobile, brilliant liquid of high refractingpower and, when quite pure, is less disagreeable, having rather anethereal odor. As a solvent of or vehicle for resins and pigments, orcolors, I have found that it unites with, or is held by these, somewhat,and that on subsequent treatment, its characteristics of brilliancy andof high refracting power appear to be imparted to the colors. Inconnection with turpentine, the action is also to carry the colors intointimate contact with the fiber or substance of the sheet, while, by itsrapid evaporation, productive of surface refrigeration, it prevents therunning or spreading of the colors. Another effect of the bisulphide ofcarbon is to cause the face of the finished sheet to harden somewhat,whereby the sheet may more easily be applied firmly to the glass. Thiseffect of preventing thelateral spreading or running of colors, by theemployment of this or some equivalent volatile'solvent, is of especialimportance when transparent varnishes are being brought into contactwith the very delicate and soluble amaranth colors and tints, which areso easily dissolved, as well as with all turpentine and anilin colorsand inks. Bi-sulphide of carbon is, so far as I know, the preferable andmost ready volatile solvent to be employed in the step of the procedurenamed, but equivalent volatile, re-' frigerativc or color-spreadingpreventive solvents may be employed in the order of their availabilityand usefulness, the operative usefulness being determined, in general,where the solvent-power is approximately equal, by the boiling-point,the lower the boiling point, under the conditions named, the greater theimportance of the solvent relative to the operation, where the effect isdue to its solvent-action and its volatility with accompanyingrefrigerative power.

By the treatment with turpentine and by the manipulation, the union ofthe picture with the glass becomes more and more intimate and isstronger and closer than where pictures are laid upon glass and brushedover with water or alcohol, the latter becoming,in time, separated fromthe glass and porous and thus blind. After the turpentine is dry, thepicture is practically finished; but, for its protection and to enhancethe appearance of the product, a plate of fine clean glass may be fixedto the back. The edges may be ornamented with a metallic bead, scroll,or with ladder-chains.

Instead of backing the picture with more glass, a mirror may beemployed, preferably a mirror of platinized glass, or the crystal platesmay be backed with opalescent American cathedral glass.

The platinum mirrors possess the peculiar quality that they act likemirrors to refiected light, while to light coming through the plates,they are perfectly transparent. In other words, if the source of lightbe in front of the plates, they are serviceable as mirrors,

while with the source behind them, they act like common glass. Themanufacture of these mirrors is very simple. Into a solution of chlorideof platinum, saturated to the point of crystallization, etheric oil oflavender is poured, thus obtaining a thick fluid containing platinum ina most finely-divided state. This fluid is applied to the glass in verythick layers by means of a brush, during which process the most thoroughcare must be exercised to avoid any dust settling on the surface. Theplates are then dried and, in a proper furnace, are heated to red heatand allowed to cool off again in the same furnace. After being rubbedoff with a cloth and Spanish White, these mirrors may not appear asclear white as mirrors coated with silver or mercury, but they givereflections that are markedly sharper in detail and more true to natureand, in addition, possess the peculiar double characteristic alreadymentioned of being both reflecting and transparent. The employment ofthese mirrors as back-plates to the crystallophies is very effective.

The opalescent back-plate, or mirror, as the case may he, gives a stillwarmer glow to the colors of the picture on the front plate. Therefracting, and, at the same time, reflecting effect of the opal-glassor mirror, reproduces the most delicate tones of mother-of-pearl mosaic,and bestows upon crystallophies the distinctively high art appearancewhich characterizes them.

The manufacture of crystallophies is materially different from that ofEuropean diaphanies. The essential difference is, that after thecompletion of the art-reproduction, the impressions of thesecrystallophies are submitted to a treatment with a solution ofturpentine and bi-sulphide of carbon before the transparent varnish isapplied, while the European method is simply to saturate the prints witha cheap resinous solution.

A further difference and one decidedly to the advantage of thecrystallophies, is that they are firmly attached to the crystal-plate,in fact may be said to be amalgamated with it, by the application of aturpentine solution to the ground-plate whereby an inseparablecombination is achieved between the impression and the glass; while, onthe other hand, European diaphanies are simply laid loosely between twolights of window-glass which are then held together by an ordinary andinsalu tary sash of lead.

For crystallophies, the very finest quality of American groundplate-glass with prismatic lucent when placed against a wall, on atable,

. or on an easel in the moderate light of the room only, the lightdiffusing from the interior. I

Crystallophies are not a Weak attempt to replace and imitate paintingson glass and stained windows but they serve, on account of theirremarkable refracted glow and the transparency of their colors as asubstitute for the finest antique mosaics and inlaid mother-of-pearlworks of art, all of which, however, they surpass, by their exceptionalbrilliancy and the refractive power of the ground and polishedcrystal-plates and lenses.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire'tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. The method of making translucent picture-sheets herein described,which consists in producing a suitabledesign or picture, in color. orcolors, upon a suitable sheet, drying the same,passing it through a bathof turpentine and a volatile refrigerative, or colorspreading preventivesolvent, again drying, then treating with a transparent varnish, anddrying again, all substantially as set forth..

2. The method of making a picture, vivid in color, and of strong effect,by producing a design or picture,-in color or colors, on a suitablesheet, then drying the sheet, then passing it' through a bath ofturpentine and a volatile refrigerative, or color-spreading preventivesolvent, then drying it again and treating it with a transparent varnishand again drying, and then applying the sheet, in the nature of a film,to a plate served with turpentine, all substantially as described.

while crystallophies, on the contrary, appear as clear, brilliant andtrans- 3. The method of. making translucent picture-sheets hereindescribed, which consists in producing a suitable design or picture, incolor or colors, upon a suitable sheet, drying the same, passing itthrough a bath of turpentine and bi-sulphide of carbon, again drying,

then treating with a transparent varnish, and

drying again, all substantially as set forth.

4. The method of making a picture, Vivid in color, and of strong effect,by producing a design or picture, in color or colors, on a suitablesheet, then drying the sheet, then passing it through a bath ofturpentine and bi- I sulphide of carbon, then drying it again andtreating it with a transparent varnish, and again drying, and thenapplying the sheet, in the nature of a film, to a plate served withturpentine, all substantially as described.

5. The crystalline sheet herein described, having the appearance andcharacteristics of color and color-effect set forth, clear and vivid totransmitted light as well as to reflected light, whereby it may be usedeither for window-decoration, fora wall or easel picture, or

for an ornamental table-top, or the like, the

same being a design in color or colors upon suitable material, such asthe described paper, the material impregnated with bi-sulphide of carbonand containing a residue of sulphur and being translucent, and the colorbeing embodied and brilliant, substantially as described.

6. The crystalline picture herein described, consisting of a sheet ofsuitable material bearing a design in color or colors, the materialhaving the color embodied and this being impregnated with bi-sulphide ofcarbon, and containing a residue of sulphur, being rendered brilliant,and translucent, in combination with and intimately applied and fixed toa plate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ALFRED VON COTZHAUSEN.

Witnesses: R. G. DYRENFORTH, F. F. RoHN.

